Paying for gas that we’re not getting

You love your car and you only put Premium fuel in it, right?

When you take your car to the gas station, before you even decide which kind of gas you want, the long black hose is already full of fuel that you are going to get, whether you want it or not.

When I fill up with Premium, the meter starts running the higher rate right away. The problem is the fuel that’s going in my car at the beginning is not Premium, but whatever cheap fuel the guy before me filled his car up with. If the guy before me chose the lowest possible grade of fuel, that’s what I’m going to start off with, because that grade of fuel is filling up the long black hose.

The lucky guy who drives up after me is going to get some Premium fuel that I paid for, because now that’s in the long black hose.

For some people whose cars have big tanks and for other people who wait until their fuel warnings turn on, putting a gallon or so of cheap fuel may not be a big deal. For people like me, who have a fuel efficient car and at times fill up with only three gallons, I have to wonder: is it worth it to buy Premium?